Canon G7 X Mark III vs Samsung NX30

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and the Samsung NX30 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in July 2019 and January 2014. The G7X Mark III is a fixed lens compact, while the NX30 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on an one-inch (G7X Mark III) and an APS-C (NX30) sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 20 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon G7 X Mark III		Samsung NX30
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
24-100mm f/1.8-2.8		Samsung NX mount lenses
20 MP – 1" sensor		20 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 125-12,800 (125 - 25,600)		ISO 100-25,600
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1036k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
30 shutter flaps per second		9 shutter flaps per second
235 shots per battery charge		360 shots per battery charge
105 x 61 x 41 mm, 304 g		127 x 96 x 58 mm, 375 g

Check G7X Mark III price at
amazon.com
Check NX30 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and the Samsung NX30? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon G7 X Mark III and the Samsung NX30 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The G7X Mark III can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the NX30 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Samsung NX30 is considerably larger (90 percent) than the Canon G7 X Mark III. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the G7X Mark III nor the NX30 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the G7X Mark III has a lens built in, whereas the NX30 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon G7 X Mark III	105 mm	61 mm	41 mm	304 g	235	n	Jul 2019	US$ 749	amazon.com
2.		Samsung NX30	127 mm	96 mm	58 mm	375 g	360	n	Jan 2014	US$ 999	ebay.com
3.		Canon G5 X	112 mm	76 mm	44 mm	353 g	210	n	Oct 2015	US$ 799	ebay.com
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	US$ 899	ebay.com
5.		Canon G7 X	103 mm	60 mm	40 mm	304 g	210	n	Sep 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	106 mm	61 mm	42 mm	319 g	265	n	Feb 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
8.		Leica C-LUX	113 mm	67 mm	46 mm	340 g	370	n	Jun 2018	US$ 1 049	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	136 mm	97 mm	131 mm	810 g	350	n	Feb 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
12.		Panasonic ZS200	111 mm	65 mm	45 mm	340 g	370	n	Feb 2018	US$ 799	amazon.com
13.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	US$ 329	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
16.		Sony RX100 VI	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	301 g	240	n	Jun 2018	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-1	105 mm	60 mm	44 mm	294 g	260	n	May 2020	US$ 799	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The G7X Mark III was launched at a lower price than the NX30, despite having a lens built in. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon G7 X Mark III features an one-inch sensor and the Samsung NX30 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the NX30 is 218 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.7 and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the NX30 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 20 megapixels. This implies that the NX30 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 4.30μm versus 2.41μm for the G7X Mark III), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the G7X Mark III is much more recent (by 5 years and 6 months) than the NX30, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the NX30 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The NX30 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III has a native sensitivity range from ISO 125 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 125-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Samsung NX30 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the G7X Mark III is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the NX30 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon G7 X Mark III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
2.		Samsung NX30	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.5	12.4	1014	76
3.		Canon G5 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	471	62
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
5.		Canon G7 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.0	12.7	556	71
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.8	11.9	260	62
7.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
8.		Leica C-LUX	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	481	64
9.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
10.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
11.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.4	546	65
12.		Panasonic ZS200	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.0	12.2	449	64
13.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
14.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
15.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
16.		Sony RX100 VI	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	478	64
17.		Sony ZV-1	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.6	669	66
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the G7X Mark III provides a higher video resolution than the NX30. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Samsung is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the NX30 has an electronic viewfinder (2359k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the G7X Mark III relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon G7 X Mark III and Samsung NX30 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon G7 X Mark III	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
2.		Samsung NX30	2359	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon G5 X	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	5.9/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon G7 X	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	6.5/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Leica C-LUX	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Nikon D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1240	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Panasonic ZS200	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
14.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
15.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
16.		Sony RX100 VI	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony ZV-1	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the G7X Mark III is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon G7 X Mark III and the Samsung NX30 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the G7X Mark III and the NX30 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and Samsung NX30 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon G7 X Mark III	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
2.		Samsung NX30	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon G5 X	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon G7 X	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Leica C-LUX	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Nikon D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
12.		Panasonic ZS200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
16.		Sony RX100 VI	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
17.		Sony ZV-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the G7X Mark III has a microphone port, which is missing on the NX30. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

The G7X Mark III is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the NX30 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the NX30 from Samsung. Further information on the features and operation of the G7X Mark III and NX30 can be found, respectively, in the Canon G7 X Mark III Manual (free pdf) or the online Samsung NX30 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Canon G7 X Mark III or the Samsung NX30 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (30 vs 9 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the NX30 requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (105x61mm vs 127x96mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the NX30).
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.1 vs 2.0).
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 6 months of technical progress since the NX30 launch.

Advantages of the Samsung NX30:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (360 versus 235) out of a single battery charge.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in January 2014).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the G7X Mark III emerges as the winner of the contest (13 : 10 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon G7 X Mark III and the Samsung NX30 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the G7X Mark III and the NX30 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon G7 X Mark III	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	..	Jul 2019	US$ 749	amazon.com
2.		Samsung NX30	3/5	..	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 999	ebay.com
3.		Canon G5 X	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	US$ 799	ebay.com
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	US$ 899	ebay.com
5.		Canon G7 X	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	4.5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
8.		Leica C-LUX	..	..	3.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2018	US$ 1 049	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	..	..	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
12.		Panasonic ZS200	..	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 799	amazon.com
13.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	US$ 329	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
16.		Sony RX100 VI	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2018	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-1	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2020	US$ 799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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